Your laptop or desktop computer should meet the specifications required for running SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD program successfully. There are a lot of factors to take into account and choosing the best computer to do the job is an extremely difficult process.
This guide will explain the things to look for if you’re configuring a brand-new Windows machine by hand, or purchasing an off-the-shelf model from a store like our preferred vendor, Dell. We’ll also provide our top workstations to run SOLIDWORKS, with budget and performance in consideration. So, without any further delay…
Memory/RAM
Drawings and complex models drawn in SOLIDWORKS need more RAM (Random Access Memory) in order to load them efficiently. This is especially true for the size of data sets which must be loaded working with the application. When a machine is running out of memory, the load time for files may be drastically increased because of hard drive caching.
Making sure that the amount of RAM in a computer is sufficient to handle the typical size of data sets is essential. It is essential to run regular, heavy-data Simulations like this can increase the requirement for RAM due to the fact that large amounts of data are required to be loaded into the computations.
Minimum recommended amount of RAM by SOLIDWORKS 16GB is the minimum recommended RAM by SOLIDWORKS.
Our suggestion to run SOLIDWORKS smoothly 32GB
If you are running Simulations or working with large data sets We suggest at minimum 64GB
Graphics Card/GPU
SOLIDWORKS requires an experienced, fully-certified graphics card that can run the OpenGL engine to function properly (e.g. Nvidia Quadro/RTX as well as AMD RadeonPro). AMD RadeonPro). SOLIDWORKS is known to work in conjunction with “gaming” GPUs that make use of DirectX (such such as AMD Radeon and the Nvidia Geforce card series) However users can be prone to frequent glitches with graphics, and the features of the software such as Realview Graphics won’t function correctly in all cases, if they even function any.
When working with visually complicated designs (such as models that have large patterns or lots of different textures) SOLIDWORKS will require a graphics card that has a significant amount of memory onboard. A high-quality graphics card is among the most essential elements to running SOLIDWORKS effectively, but it is essential to ensure there’s a balanced combination of Graphics Card and the CPU. A top-quality graphics card won’t be able of running efficiently when paired with a low-end CPU.
It’s also crucial to verify that it’s a must to ensure that the best computer for SolidWorks Graphics driver is compatible to work with SOLIDWORKS. This can be verified through opening SOLIDWORKS RX through the menu bar at the top, and then going to the Diagnostics Tab. The Diagnostics results will reveal that the driver is not up to date. of current. The button will permit the downloading of a supported driver, if it is available. SOLIDWORKS does its own tests for graphics cards and using a non-certified driver is known to cause graphical glitches in the program.
If you’re using Visualize with SOLIDWORKS regularly, it’s a good idea to look into an Nvidia “Pascal” Series card. Or one that is newer (look for models that begin with the letters P/T/RTX). Then, you can benefit from Visualize’s Visualize Denoiser, which can offer up to 10X speedier performance.
If you’re working using Large Assemblies, SOLIDWORKS can utilize your graphics card to greater extent. Thanks to Enhanced Graphics Performance, more than half of the graphics calculations are now handled by the graphics card, which means the manipulation of views is now more efficient. However, this depends on having an SOLIDWORKS approved graphics card and driver.
Processor/CPU
The modern processors are comprised of several cores in the same chip. SOLIDWORKS however, is mostly one core program rebuilding model is an asynchronous procedure due to the design tree that is part of the model. This is why the majority of users will discover that it’s more efficient to invest in more powerful processors that have smaller cores.
Certain processes in SOLIDWORKS make use of multiple cores. For instance, building and opening drawing using multiple views. Rendering can also use multiple cores, and is able to run with either eight or twelve. Simulations can also make use of more cores. They work best when you have one or two cores however any benefits beyond the threshold will be diminished. If you’re using these features often, you should think about getting a processor with more cores.
We typically attempt to recommend the most current Intel i7 or Xeon processors to our clients so that they can run a broad variety of features in SOLIDWORKS. Hyper threading can be disabled in the bios , in line with the software. This will decrease the amount of processors. Turbo boost is also enabled to enhance the performance of one core.
Storage (HDD/SSD)
When you are deciding on how big the Hard Disk Drive (HDD) for SolidWorks, we suggest starting with at minimum the size of 256GB, and then working your way towards the largest amount you’re able.
To maximize performance, we suggest that you choose the primary Solid State Drive (SSD) or M.2* drive for running SolidWorks (and Windows) and a second SSD that is used to store all other data. This will ensure that models as well as assemblies load and save as fast as is possible.
If you’re able to only afford the one SSD or M.2 drive, ensure you utilize it for installation of software since it gives you the most value. You can always purchase an additional mechanical HDD that is spinning at 7200 RPM (or more than) to keep your data.
If you’ve already done some research, you might have noticed that certain machines come by “M.2″ storage. This is the most recent standard for data storage. And those that are branded”NVMe” (rather rather than SATA) utilize an entirely different method of communicating with computers. These storage devices are a step forward from SSD’s, and generally more efficient, and you’ll find that the majority of modern workstations come with NVMe as common.
Operating system
With the introduction of Windows 11, you may be tempted to install the Windows 11 operating system for the SOLIDWORKS PC. At the time when this article was written (8th march 2022), SOLIDWORKS is not currently supported by Microsoft. SOLIDWORKS will support Windows 11 will likely be made available in conjunction with SOLIDWORKS 2022 , SP2. Expected to release around April. If you’re thinking of installing Windows 11, we would advise waiting till after this update is released.